The action of Kingdom Hearts continues in this sequel which continues to successfully blend the various elements of the Disney universes with original material to create a dynamic and complex world that caters to the desire to explore open-worlds that is such an integral part of the role-playing genre. Like it’s predecessor, the gameplay marries this fascination with exploration and discovery with the ability to interact one-on-one with the world with its unique blend of action and role-playing elements. However, this game takes a decidedly darker turn with the storyline than its predecessor dared to. The ‘enemies’ of the first game are put into a broader context, combining each person’s potential to become a ‘Heartless’ by explaining that this split also results in a secondary byproduct, the ‘Nobody’. Unlike the unthinking Heartless, the half of the spirit that becomes a Nobody retains a sense of humanity that strives to regain its full humanity. Thus, the disruption and chaos that the Nobodies are causing is merely a result of their struggle to become complete again, or at the very least to gain a sense of autonomy and legitimacy that they feel is missing from this liminal state of being. The only downfall of this game is that the structure of gameplay feels much more restrained and linear than its predecessor, which may be a result of the added narrative complexity. There is also an increase of cutscenes to expand upon the storyline and give direction to the gameplay, however, sometimes it feels like the game simply guides you from one task to the next instead of granting the freedom to problem solve that was so prominent in the first game. Despite this concern, the game continues the legacy of the series in providing an interesting and complex world that is suitable for players of all skill levels and ages to explore through gameplay. Recommended for purchase. ( )